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British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1976 Sep 25;2(6038):723–724. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6038.723

Prospective comparison of double-contrast barium meal examination and fibreoptic endoscopy in acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

G W Stevenson, R R Cox, C J Roberts
PMCID: PMC1688851  PMID: 1086117

Abstract

Fibre-optic endoscopy was compared prospectively with double-contrast radiology in 53 consecutive patients admitted with acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The bleeding site was correctly identified by endoscopy in 94% of patients and the final diagnosis was correctly given in 89%. The corresponding figures with radiology were 83% and 74%. Among the 50 patients with a final diagnosis of a bleeding site in the upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy indicated the site of bleeding in all and radiology indicated it in 88%. Both investigations were well tolerated by patients. Endoscopy is the investigation of choice, but when it is not available double-contrast radiology will show the site of bleeding in 80-90% of patients.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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